Universal shaft-coupling.



C. SCHMIDT. UNIVERSAL SHAFT COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1909.

Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CHARLES SCHMIDT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEERLESS MOTOR CAR COM- PANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

UNIVERSAL SHAFT-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'March 23, 1909.

Application filed January 2, 1909. Serial No. 470,872.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES SoHMIn'r, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga' and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Universal Shaft- Couplings, of which the following isa full,

clear, and exact description.

This invention is designed with special reference to its use for operativelyconnecting the ends of approximately alined shafts, such as are commonly employed on automobiles, for transmittingpower from the engine driving axle.

Simplicity, efliciency, and the capacity to easily take up wear are the main objects attained.

In the drawing Figure 1 represents disconnected parts of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the end of shaft D. Flg. 3 is a similar view looking at the shaft, but at right angles to the view shown in Fi Fig. 4

. 2 V is 'a sectional view of the asseml iled parts of the device, this sectionbeing taken through the longitudinal fingers a on shaft A.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents one of the transmission shafts havlng,

'at its end, a cross bar a, which is provided at its ends with longitudinally extended fingers a.

B, B represent two socket bars which, when the parts are assembled, lie on o posite sides of and embrace the fingers a, to which they are fastened by bolts C. In the opposedfaces of these two bars, when they are so secured, is an approximately square socket produced by forming in these bars between their ends the approximately triangular recesses b.

D represents the other shaft; and its end d is made ap roximately square, so as to fit with some ooseness in the sockets B, 'B'.

While the socket and the end D have been referred to as approximately square, they are actually octagonal, four sides being, however, extremely narrow, and formed by merely cutting off the angles formed by the intersections of the broad flat sides. Another peculiarity of the construction of the end (I of the shaft D, is that the broad fiat sides thereof are slightly convex longitudinally. This permits a slight rocking of the end (1 in the socket without affecting the operative connection between the parts. This rocking, however, causes some wear which the fingers a. As the socket or shaft wear,

so that there is an unsatisfactory degree of looseness, these shims may be taken out as required to restore the device to the required condition. i

would render the device less-satisfactory if Havingdescribed my invention,'I claim:

The combination of a shaft having at one end a cross bar with longitudinally extended fingers at its ends, and two socket bars which at their ends embrace and are secured to said fingers and have in their opposed faces, when so secured, approximately triangular recesses, thereby making an approximately square socket with a shaft having its end a proximately square and somewhat loose y fitted into said socket.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES SCHMIDT.

Witnesses:

E. L. THURSTON,

H. R. SULLIVAN, 

